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Fragments, Chapter 47

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I had barely begun to prepare for bed when I heard the scream. I looked out of my window, just in time to see Luigi fall from his, with his clothes blazing. For a terrible moment, I thought it was an act of suicide, when incredibly, a fireball followed him, exploding dangerously close to him as he lay writhing on the ground. I reached for the emergency bell-pull on my wall and tugged at it with my full weight. It had served as a part of the early warning system for Bowser's invasions for years, but I never dreamed I'd be using it against Mario. I knew it had to be Mario, for who else could throw fireballs like those?

As if to test my disbelief of the situation even further, the next thing to fly out of Luigi's window was Mario himself, somersaulting with ease and trailing a blanket behind him. On landing, he smothered and beat the flames from his brother's clothing with the blanket, then wrapped him tightly in it, muffling the poor man's cries of agony. Then, he dived into one of the manicured bushes in the courtyard garden and returned with what looked like a small bottle. He poured its contents into his brother's throat so fast it made him choke.

Meanwhile, the servants in the castle had heeded my emergency call, because the castle's warning bell then started to toll. Mario looked up when it sounded, hoisted Luigi over his shoulder and staggered to his feet. I held my breath. Soon, the barbs over our battlements would be extended, and our cannons would roll into place, making his escape more difficult. But to my horror, instead I saw the portcullis rise and the drawbridge beyond it, being lowered. What treachery was this?

I turned to leave my room, only then aware of the squeals of confusion in the corridor outside. I flung my door open, to see house-servants running to their hiding places, as had been drilled into them every time they heard the warning bell. I caught sight of the pale-yellow spots on the head-cap of my young assistant, Toadlon, as he fought past his panicked colleagues to find me.

"Master Toadsworth!" he shouted over the cacophony.

"I know!" I said, cutting off his next sentence. "Stop him! Relay my orders to raise the drawbridge and engage all defences!"

"I can't! The portcullis and drawbridge were opened on the Princess's command!"

His words hit me like a brick. The Princess's command? I could not remember being more furious with Princess Peach than at that particular moment. I grabbed my stick with one hand and Toadlon's arm with the other, pulling him into my office. "Then you will go to the guards and tell them that she has reversed her order, and that Mario must be stopped at all costs!" I told him.

He looked shocked at the idea and began to protest, but I gripped his arm even harder. "Toadlon," I said to him, "sometimes we must override our superiors' decisions for the greater good."

He blinked at me. He was going to need convincing.

"Remember the night when Bowser took Princess Peach and Princess Daisy?" I said.  "The same night Luigi had an 'L' episode and I told you to spread the news that he had turned renegade? You disobeyed my order, and you were right to do so. Now, we must do the same with Princess Peach's orders."

To my relief, he nodded. "Yes, Sir," he replied, and without further delay, he left my room for the entrance to the courtyard.

I stepped out into the corridor and paused to make way for the few frightened stragglers who were still heading to their bunkers in the Keep. Then, I hurried to the Princess's quarters.


I wasn't surprised to find not just Princess Peach, but Nastasia, Professor Gadd and Dr. Toadley sitting with her in her private lounge. I'm embarrassed to say that my anger was so great that I dispensed with any form of etiquette and launched straight into my demand to know why she'd made this insane decision.

To my princess's credit, she waived my display of insolence, and let me continue.

"Your Highness," I said, trying to calm myself, "I understand your logic behind wanting Mario to help Luigi regain his identity, but what plan is this, to allow Mario to break him out of the castle? Do you know that Mario forced him out of the window with a fireball? The poor man fell two storeys and almost burned to death!"

Princess Peach gave me an icy look. "I'm afraid that Mario has somewhat taken matters into his own hands," she said. "I didn't expect that he'd go to those lengths, but I am sure he only has his brother's best interests at heart, as we all do. There is no risk to me or to the kingdom. Mario will not allow him to escape his custody, and even if he tried, Nastasia has just affirmed that the hynotically induced agoraphobia will restrict Mr. L from moving very far on his own."

Nastasia kept her eyes fixed to the floor.

"That may well be the case," I conceded, "but who knows what this could lead to! He still doesn't know who he is, and we can't train every inhabitant of the Mushroom Kingdom not to call him by the name by which they've always known him..."

My princess raised her hand, and I knew she meant me to be silent. "Toadsworth, it has already been decided. I have sanctioned Mario's request to try things his way, and Nastasia's rehabilitation program has been suspended until we know the outcome. Professor Gadd will remain at the castle for now. Since Mr. L sees him as his only friend, it's important that he knows where to find him. And as for you, Toadsworth," she said, "you are his greatest confidant, and you would do well to maintain that status by trying not to take sides."

I looked from Nastasia, to Toadley, to Gadd. I could see by their faces that they didn't dare question the princess's decision. I could only take consolation from the fact that Nastasia's assessment had at least made things seem less dire than before. The hypnosis that had confined Mr. L to the guest room would slow Mario's progress considerably. Not only that, it even had the potential to draw Mr. L back towards the castle, especially if he knew that his friend, Professor Gadd, was still here.

It would make the situation easier to salvage, should anything spiral out of control, and whether the princess liked it or not, I intended to maintain that control.

I took a deep breath. "Very well, Your Highness," I said. "If that will be all, I bid you good night."


On returning to my office, I found Toadlon waiting for me in the visitor's chair near the fire. He jumped up as soon as I entered.

"It was too late," he said. "They took my order, but by the time they'd set the defences in motion, Mario already escaped with Luigi over the walls..."

"No matter," I said, moving to the chair behind my desk and sitting down. "They won't be able to move very fast. Luigi is injured, and the hypnotic spell that kept him in his room will cause all manner of trouble for Mario, by the sounds of things. I want you to go to the Keep and inform all the servants that the warning bell was a false alarm. Then I want the communications network mobilised. I want Mario and Luigi tracked, and their whereabouts reported back to me on a regular basis, round the clock. Neither of them should be approached. Both could be dangerous. We can't leave anything to chance."

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